Greencastle teen shaves head to raise money for children's cancer research

Monday

Jan 7, 2013 at 12:15 PM

Cassandra Martin, a senior at Greencastle-Antrim High School, has sported an uncommon hairdo for the past several weeks in an effort to raise awareness — and money — for children's cancer research.

By Colleen Seidel/The Record Herald

GREENCASTLE — It's a style choice motivated by conscience more than fashion.

Cassandra Martin, a senior at Greencastle-Antrim High School, has sported an uncommon hairdo for the past several weeks in an effort to raise awareness — and money — for children's cancer research.

Martin, 17, is participating in a virtual campaign through St. Baldrick's Foundation by shaving her head to raise money.

Martin's goal is to raise $10,000, and she will keep her head shaved until she does.

"I've just kinda gotten over it by now," Martin said about her lack of locks. "I recently started dreaming ... and in the dreams, I'm bald."

For a good cause

It was a personal encounter with a young girl in remission from leukemia that prompted Martin to research children's cancers and find out what she could do to help.

"Meeting her really inspired me," she said.

Martin went online and found St. Baldrick's Foundation, a non-profit charity which raises money specifically for children's cancer research and programs that improve the quality of life for survivors.

"I did the research because I knew people would ask me questions," Martin said. "About 85 percent of the money they raise goes straight to cancer research."

The California-based foundation sponsors group head-shaving events for participants to do together. It also offers "virtual events" in which participants can create an individual page on the foundation's website to draw visitors and donors.

Martin decided to do the latter, and so far has raised more than $500 in donations.

"I always check on the website every morning to see if anyone's donated," she said. So far, donors have included friends and family both in Greencastle and elsewhere.

By Martin's calculations, it will take her roughly nine months, or until July, to complete her $10,000 goal. That means photos from a slew of big events for the high school senior, including prom and graduation, will feature her bald-headed.

"Yeah, I'm nervous," she said.

Voluntarily losing all of one's hair is a big risk for a teenage girl. "I almost cried. It's literally a shock," Martin said about the moment she saw her new 'do in the mirror. "I had to touch my head while looking at the mirror. It took days for me to get over it."

Martin donated more than 10 inches of her hair to a wig-making program through St. Baldrick's.

But despite the initial shock, Martin said she has received nothing but positive attention for the move from her peers and teachers at school.

Classmates "love to run their hands through it. They say I have a really nice-shaped head," Martin said.

And she's become somewhat of a good-luck charm for her cheerleading comrades at basketball games.

"They always rub my head for good luck before the game," she said. "They all think it's cool. Even the athletic director (Vicki Ritchey) told me she thought it was great."

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
Waynesboro Record Herald - Waynesboro, PA ~ 30 Walnut St. Waynesboro, PA 17268 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service